External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday strongly defended India's decision to buy Russian oil, stating that New Delhi's energy choices were guided by cost and availability while also questioning European nations over their arms exports.
Speaking during a panel discussion on "Emerging Powers and the New Geopolitical Competition" at the Kultaranta Talks in Finland, alongside Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh, Jaishankar rejected criticism of India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Responding to a question about Europe's perception that India has been "too sympathetic to Russia" and "too willing to buy oil from Russia", Jaishankar said India's energy decisions were driven by practical considerations.
"I buy oil based on cost and availability. So, at that point in time, much of the oil available in the market was Russian because Europeans were essentially buying oil from the Middle East, which was our traditional supplier. So, circumstances pushed us in a certain direction," he said.
The External Affairs Minister then turned the focus towards Europe, highlighting what he described as a contradiction in the criticism directed at India.
"Since you spoke about moral ambiguity, I would say that no European country has been attacked with Indian weapons. I wish I could say that for European weapons vis-a-vis India. So, keep that in mind," he remarked.
When asked to elaborate, Jaishankar reiterated India's longstanding security concerns regarding European arms supplies.
"Europeans sell weapons which are used to attack India, not now, but for many years. We Indians have never done anything to endanger Europe. I think that's a reasonable point," he said.
Jaishankar's remarks come amid continued scrutiny from parts of the West over India's energy ties with Russia since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. India has consistently defended its imports of Russian oil, maintaining that its foreign policy and energy security decisions are guided by national interests, citizen welfare and domestic energy requirements.
New Delhi has also repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path towards resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
